FROM Bill Clinton to the Gladiators to the country's biggest dog show, Bob Prattey has attracted them all to the NEC venues he has helped nurture and grow for the last 21 years.

"I was lucky enough to meet Bill Clinton, who has unbelievable charisma. My wife's pride and joy is a picture with him. Winning the G8 Summit was a real thrill and it did wonders for the image of Birmingham."

Starting out as events' planning manager, he has worked his way up to managing director of the NEC venues group.

"The NEC was basically a trade exhibition centre back then and I was given carte blanche to bring in any activity to fill holes in the balance sheet," he recalls.

"We started doing concerts, conferences and developed that over a few years.

"Then we opened the International Convention Centre in the city centre. I became general manager of the NEC and the National Indoor Arena."

World indoor athletics championships, the Eurovision Song Contest, Horse of the Year Show, concerts from the biggest stars, winning Crufts away from London in its centenary year - Mr Prattey is not scared of thinking big.

"We can go for these events, apart from perhaps the athletics because of track size, but certainly things like the world gymnastics.

"When you see the big concert venues in the UK with all the billboards outside with the tour dates, I want Liverpool to be on them."

After the Everton stadium debacle, Kings Dock was a dirty word for many Liverpool people but Mr Prattey, a born-and-bred Brummie, believes the local populace is now crucial to the success of the venue.

"I want 430,000 sales people out there with huge pride in the building," he said.

"We will have a quality facility but there are other quality facilities around the country. It's about what we offer beyond that, it's about the welcome in the hotels, in the restaurants, from the taxi drivers. You cannot isolate a venue from its city, it's about the whole package

"When I got lost driving here today and a cabbie just said 'follow me' - that's important."

Profit is not expected from the Kings Dock facilities themselves, which will remain in city council ownership with a controlling board, but they should produce a huge economic offshoot for the city in attracting visitors.

"It's about total economic regeneration,' said Mr Prattey.. "The link between our arena and exhibition space is a great selling point, and we want the glass atrium between to be alive with people as it links to the waterfront."

One of the first tasks will be a new name.

"Kings Dock won't mean anything to anyone elsewhere in the country or abroad so we will have a look at it, but we'll need a decision pretty soon. I want to be spreading the word about this quality building and why people should come here soon," said Mr Prattey.

"It's vitally important for the city that the facility is delivered on time and on budget and I would not be here if I was not confident that the team here in Liverpool will do that.

"We've got this unique opportunity in 2008 which we want to fully capitalise on.